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Photograph and Handmade Paper Fusion

19 Mar 2012

Recently I became interested in papermaking. It is the kind of craft a youngster can easily do and so I figured I would be up to the task. After reading some instructions about the process, I soon found all sorts of exciting ways to use my handmade paper.

One of the interesting ways to use the handmade paper is to sew a photograph to the paper. I am not the best with a sewing machine so my result were a little bit rustic looking, but all things considered, I think my project turned out well enough. Here is a supply list and instructions.

Supply List

-Handmade Paper

-Printed Photos

-Frame

-Sewing Machine

-Thread

-Pencil

-Ruler

-Scissors

Step 1 - Make some paper: Making paper is pretty easy you can find multiple online lessons about how to do it.

Step 2 – Print your photos: Select a few photos that might go with the paper you've made. You can try and match the colors or textures of the photograph with the colors and texture of the paper. In my example I just wanted a simple monochrome look.

Step 3 – Measure and Cut: Measure and cut your handmade paper so it will fit into the frame you selected. When you are making your paper be aware of the size of your frame. If you make your sheet of paper too small, it won't fill up the frame. (I know this sounds obvious, but sometimes the obvious is overlooked)

Step 4 – Sew: I found going slow and using stitches that were far apart worked best. It might take a little practice, but you'll get it in no time.

Step 5 – Frame and Display: After your photograph is secured to the paper you can put in the frame and display it.

Variations

Like any good project, there are countless little variations that you can achieve by changing the paper color, the thread you select, the photograph, the kind of frame, or the size of the photograph.